EAST LANSING -- Former Michigan State linebacker Greg Jones knows he has plenty of doubters heading into this week's NFL draft.

That's despite being the first Spartan to earn back-to-back consensus first-team All-America honors since Bubba Smith and George Webster in 1965-66 after coming back for his senior year and helping the Spartans to an 11-win season and a share of the Big Ten title for the first time since 1990.

Most draft experts have him pegged to be taken between rounds 3 and 5.

Jones, who spoke to the Free Press after a recent workout at MSU, said he's not worried about what the draft gurus think.

"I don't care about that at all," Jones said. "Not one scout, not one GM has told me one time that I've had a poor performance at all. Senior Bowl, combine, pro day, my whole senior year, my whole résumé of work. They haven't told me I've done poorly at all. Until that happens, they can say whatever."

The Sporting News' mock draft has Jones (6 feet, 242 pounds) going to the Giants with the 19th pick of the third round.

ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. said this past week that Jones will go even later, calling him "an early Day 3 type of guy." (The first round is Thursday. Rounds 2-3 are Friday and rounds 4-7 are Saturday.)

Jones ran two 40-yard dashes in the mid 4.7s during MSU's pro day last month. Kiper said Jones has "average speed."

"Heck of a college player," Kiper said. "I think people are going to look at him and say, 'OK, is he going to be equally as good in the NFL?' And there's some questions. That's why instead of being the first- or second-round pick that collegiate press clippings lead you to believe, he becomes a fourth- or fifth-round pick."

Jones is ready to prove Kiper and others wrong.

"Coming out of high school, I made a name for myself," said Jones, who prepped at Cincinnati Moeller. "Got in college and made a name for myself. That's the way I'm going to go into the NFL.

"I'm not going in expecting anything or that I've earned the right for anything. I feel like I will earn a right to start. I'm going to do whatever it takes to get a starting position and play for what I'm worth."